Kudos to Chief Nathaniel Harper and the members of the Pittsburgh, PA Bureau of Police for their thoughtful and thorough investigation of a woman, Ashley Todd, who claimed that she was robbed by a 6'4" Black man who carved the letter "B" on her cheek and allegedly demanded that she renounce her support of presidential candidate John McCain and endorse Senator Barak Obama.

The Pittsburgh investigators based their investigation on fact and not emotion. They proved the woman's claim to be false; and when confronted, she confessed and was charged with making a false police report. The woman reportedly has psychological problems.

There is an all to familiar theme to this story, "a Black man did it!" The media quickly picked up on the story and talk radio added its unique twist and speculation that this was a politically motivated attack with racial overtones.

Almost 20 years ago to the day, on October 23, 1989, Charles Stuart allegedly got lost while driving in the Mission Hill section of Boston, where he claimed that a 'black man' jumped into their car, demanded money, and then shot both he and his pregnant wife Carol Dimaiti Stuart.

The Boston Police Department began systematically locking down the Black community, stopping and searching young black men and boys, reportedly as young as 13 and men as old as 50 in attempt to find the alleged perpetrator.

Charles Stuart committed suicide after his brother confessed to police that they arranged Carol's killing and that he shot Charles to throw the police off track and to strengthen Charles claim that a Black man did it.

On a brighter note, the Dimaiti family was so horrified by the things that had been done, they started a foundation to raise scholarship money to help send kids from the Mission Hill neighborhood to college in the name of their daughter and sister.

According to one report in the Boston Globe, the foundation has raised more than a $1.2 million and helped more than 200 kids from Mission Hill go on to college.

As we get closer to election day and tensions grow we should be thankful that the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police gave us a practical example of how law enforcement deals with a sensitive situation by showing tremendous empathy and profound compassion for all of the stakeholders.

President David Lomax and the members of the Northwest Chapter are pleased to announce the retirement of Commander Derrick Foxworth after 27 years of service with the Portland Bureau of Police.

A reception will be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 2 P.M. at the Northeast Precinct Community Room 449 NE Emerson St, Portland, OR 97211.

President Vera Bumpers-Pentecost and the members of the Houston Chapter are pleased to announce the appointment of Antonio Ford as Chief of Police for the newly formed Cleveland, TX Independent School District Police Department.

To Ford, the challenge of building a department was one of the attractions of the job. "I like what this all encompasses - the management side of it and dealing with the day to day," he said.

Ford is a 21-year law enforcement veteran. He started as a correctional officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in 1987 at Rosharon. After four years on the job there, he spent a year as a patrol officer in Prairie View and for the past 16 years at the Metro Police Department in Houston where he served as a Sergeant.

Chief Ford recently received his Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

NOBLE members throughout the swath of Hurricane Ike suffered devastating losses, particularly in Texas, Louisiana and Ohio.

Fortunately, the losses only resulted in property damage, but in some cases the members' homes are uninhabitable due to major structural damage.

We have been in touch with the Regional Vice Presidents for the affected areas and they advise that the resolve of our members is strong.

We have established the Hurricane Ike Relief Fund to assist those affected members. Please click on the link below and give what you can.

Associate Member's Representative Jill Smallwood-Rustin is proud to announce the promotion of Regina Holsey.  Regina has been a member of the United States Marshal Service for 13-years.  She is also an active member of the Georgia Chapter of NOBLE.  Regina will leave the associate membership and connect with our regular members due to her promotion to the grade of GS-13.  We wish for Regina, promise, blessings, and success in her new assignment. 

On behalf of the Associate Membership Jill Smallwood-Rustin proudly announces the retirement of Police Officer Susan Harris from the Atlanta Police Department.   Officer Harris retired with 30 years of service on October 1, 2008.  

She will be greatly missed by co-workers and the entire Atlanta community for her positive deposit and impact as one of Atlanta's finest.

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey today honored the nation's Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor recipients during a special ceremony at the Department of Justice. Earlier today, President George W. Bush presented the Medals of Valor during a White House ceremony in the Oval Office.

The Medal of Valor is the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer. It recognizes heroic action performed above and beyond the call of duty. The Attorney General honored five recipients from the nation's federal and local law enforcement agencies.

"These men faced life-threatening situations with composure and extraordinary courage, and in one case a Department employee gave his life," said Attorney General Mukasey. "They all put their lives on the line to protect their communities, and for that we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude."

The recipients of the 2006-2007 Medal of Valor are Cmdr. Miguel G. Galvez, Opa-Locka Police Department, Fla.; Officer David C. Goitia, Glendale Police Department, Ariz.; Detective Raymond Robertson, Miami-Dade Police Department; Special Agent William Sentner, III (Deceased), U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Investigations Division, Miami Field Office, Fla.; and Lieutenant Carlos J. Thompson, Mobile County Sheriff's Office, Ala. Also in attendance was firefighter Brian D. Rothell from the Chesterfield Fire and Emergency Medical Services in Chesterfield, Va. Rothell is a recipient of the 2005-2006 Medal of Valor, but was not able to attend the ceremony last year.

The Medal of Valor, authorized by the Public Safety Medal of Valor Act of 2001, is awarded by the President of the United States to public safety officers cited by the Attorney General. Public safety officers are nominated by the chiefs or directors of their employing agencies and recommended by the Medal of Valor Review Board.

Additional information about the award, the design and image of the Medal of Valor, the board members, and the nomination process can be found on the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Web site at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/medalofvalor. Descriptions of this year's winners are also attached.

Dear NOBLE Brothers and Sisters:

As we continue to strive to endow the NOBLE National Scholarship Fund and award scholarships to qualified and deserving students, we need your support.

Listed below are fundraisers to benefit the National Scholarship.

1. The: 2008 White House Christmas Ornament and 2008 Secret Service Benefit Fund Christmas Ornament: these make excellent gifts for friends, family, teachers, neighbors or any guests who drop by for the holiday. Orders must be received by November 14, 2008.
2. The NOBLE Commemorative Prints by Brenda Joysmith.

• Developing a Winner
• 25th Anniversary Print "The New Lieutenant"
• 30th Anniversary Print - "Acknowledge the Past, Inspire Positive Change And Create a Better Future"

All donations to the NOBLE National Scholarship Fund are tax deductible.
Please forward your order to:
Hubert Bell
5906 Reservoir Heights Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22311 Together we will make this a successful fundraiser.

Diversity Day is part of TSA's Diversity Initiative announced in 2007 to address lack of diversity in various mission critical positions.

Last February, Kimberly Walton, special counselor, used the Idea Factory to challenge employees to write an essay on how TSA could create and sustain a diverse and inclusive workplace. The winning essay by Houston Behavior Detection Officer Jesse Santiago suggested a diversity gathering so that everyone in TSA could show pride in our diverse backgrounds. The gathering would also allow TSA employees to come together and to share our diverse cultures, talents, backgrounds, and heritage. Diversity Day at TSA was born.

Every office and every airport has been asked to plan their own diversity celebration, and a headquarters Diversity Day Planning Committee has met regularly since Aug. 1. Plans from field locations and headquarters' offices are varied, fun, and sound "delicious," with many locations planning pot luck lunches featuring ethnic dishes. Look for a Diversity cookbook that will feature these dishes. Some recipes are already posted on the Office of Civil Rights and Liberties (OCRL) Sharepoint site. You are encouraged to add yours, along with any pictures from your celebrations.

A "Diversity Day Toolkit" was distributed and is on the OCRL Sharepoint. Diversity theme posters, Diversity Day posters, and Diversity badge holder retractors were sent to headquarters and field locations for distribution.

On Diversity Day, an Armed Forces Color Guard will open the Headquarters Diversity Day program and senior TSA officials will speak. Tentative events include: * Dance demonstrations; * Hula for your health warm up for a Latin merenge fitness workout; * Film on how to communicate effectively with persons with disabilities; * Workshops on mentoring for success and how to use TSA's career enhancing services; * Poetry/prose reading of literature by diverse and international authors; * K-9 demonstration; and * Defensive measures and tactics workshop. The program is as diverse as the day and we want all of TSA to participate, enjoy and learn.

February 2009 will be a busy month for NOBLE and the Hilton Atlanta Atlanta, GA 30303
will be the venue NOBLE's most important winter events.

President Tommy Jones and the members of the Greater North Texas Chapter are proud to announce the promotion of Lieutenant V. Lenn Carter to Captain of the Denton Police Department.

Captain Carter will serve as commander of the Investigative Services Bureau. Chief Roy Minter called him "one of the greatest success stories in the history of the department."

Carter started as a Denton civilian jailer in 1993 to support himself while he attended the University of North Texas. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and began working on a master's degree. He was recruited as a peace officer and attended the cadet academy, finishing a master's degree in police administration after he became a patrol officer in 1995.

He was promoted to patrol sergeant in 2000 and became a detective sergeant in 2003. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2004. He served as a patrol commander until May, when he was moved to the Office of Professional Standards, which includes internal affairs, training, media relations and the intern program.

Captain Carter attended the University of North Texas and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice in 1993. In 1998, he received Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of North Texas. Capt. Carter is a graduate of the 220th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Washington Chapter President and Supervisory Special Agent FBI Bertram R. Fairries recently resigned the presidency of the Washington State Chapter as he assumes new duties with the FBI. The chapter remains stable in the capable hands of Washington State Patrol Chief Les Young.

But the story is really about the Bureau's confidence in his leadership. So confident, the long hand of the Bureau reached out and touched him. The FBI has given him another assignment. This assignment calls for him to act in the capacity of the Legal Attaché of the FBI operations in Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa.

Fairries will return to the states just before Christmas and will be assigned to the Washington, DC area.

Special Assistant to the National President Mark Logan is pleased to announce that workshop proposals are now being accepted for the 2009 NOBLE National Conference.

This is your opportunity to recommend a workshop that you really would like to have at the conference.

Proposals are due by October 30, 2008.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is urging people who want to help disaster victims to make donations through voluntary organizations that are active in ongoing disaster operations.

For those who don't know who to reach, there is an easy way to provide financial support, donate time and skills or donate needed products. The National Donations Management Network is a Web-based system where individuals and the private sector can offer their support online to the voluntary organizations that are actively engaged in the ongoing disaster.

FEMA works in partnership with the affected states, the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD), the Aidmatrix Foundation and the private sector to direct donation offers to voluntary agencies in need as they support the thousands of displaced people. FEMA and Aidmatrix entered into a cooperative agreement, in 2006, to develop this donations management network. The Aidmatrix Foundation offers an online way to connect private sector or individuals wanting to offer support to the leading organizations in humanitarian relief.

The National Donations Management Network is located at www.fema.gov/donations. Visitors to this site have the option to direct their donation to national level voluntary agencies or directly to the affected states who are managing their own state aid portals.

Deputy Director Ronnie Carter and Larry Ford, Assistant Director of Public and Governmental Affairs, were recently selected to receive the President's Meritorious Rank Award.

The awards presented by the Attorney General are among the 10 Meritorious awards granted within the Department of Justice this year. The award is conferred upon a very select group of career senior executives annually, recognizing their sustained accomplishments, their outstanding leadership and longtime service to government.

"These executives demonstrate integrity, strength, and leadership," said Acting Director Sullivan. "Winning the prestigious Presidential Rank Award is, above all, an honor for ATF, and I am deeply proud to serve with them."

Deputy Director Carter (in above photo) was selected for this prestigious award based upon his visionary leadership of the Bureau. During his tenure, ATF has assumed a national role in reducing gun and gang violence, investigating arson and explosives incidents, and deterring the illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco products. ATF is a recognized world expert in training and investigating bombings and other explosives incidents. Through his efforts, acknowledgement of ATF's expertise is at its highest level ever, and has been reflected in significant funding increases and expanded jurisdiction.

AD Ford was recognized for his vision and creative leadership in remaking the public image of ATF in the post-911 community while establishing the identity of the Bureau with the Department of Justice and with the new congressional oversight and appropriations committees. As ATF defined its role within the Department, Mr. Ford ensured that Congress, the media and the public understood our national role in reducing gun violence, investigating arson and explosive incidents, and deterring the illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco products.

President Cleveland Barnes and the members of the Maryland Chapter cordially invite you to their Annual Bull Roast on Sunday, November 2, 2008.

Tickets are $35.00.

President Eugene Williams and the members of the Chicago Metropolitan Chapter invite you to the annual Dinner Dance, which will be held on Friday Nov 14 2008, at 6:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 151 W. Wacker Drive, Downtown Chicago.

Tickets are $75 each (One Table seats 10 people) and everyone will need a ticket because there will be no ticket sales at the door.  ALL TICKET MONEY IS DUE BY OCTOBER 31 2008. The sooner you get your money in, the closer you sit to the action!  

For sponsorship opportunities and tickets please contact one of the following:

Erroll Davis (CPD- 4th Dist) 312-747-5108; Email address: secureye@aol.com

Marjet Hall- Wysinger (CPD - Unit 188) 312-745-6085; Email address: amwys4@yahoo.com

Sharita Lewis-Anderson (CPD - Unit 212) 773-430-6310 Email address: sharita.anderson@yahoo.com

Eugene Williams (CPD - Area 2) Email Address: gene1716@excite.com

You may also call the NOBLE Chicago Chapter Hotline # 312-458-9711